1. Field
Embodiments of the present invention relate to an ice making unit and a refrigerator having the same, and more particularly, to an ice making unit including a plurality of ice making trays and a refrigerator having such an ice making unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a refrigerator is an apparatus comprising components for constituting a refrigerating cycle, and serves to freeze or refrigerate stored goods therein by generating cool air using the components for constituting the refrigerating cycle. A refrigerator may comprise an ice making unit mounted in a freezing chamber to make ice pieces.
An example of an ice making unit mounted in a refrigerator is disclosed in Korean Patent Registration No. 10-705182.
An ice tray assembly for a refrigerator disclosed in the above patent reference includes a case, a plurality of ice trays arranged up and down in the case to freeze water stored therein, one of which is rotatably provided and the others of which are rotated interlockingly with the rotation of one of the ice trays, a lever connected to one of the plurality of ice trays to serve to drop ice pieces stored in the ice trays down below the case by rotation thereof, and a connecting gear connected to the lever so as to interlock with the rotation of the lever and serving to transmit the rotating force of one of the ice trays, which is connected with the lever, to another of the ice trays.
However, the conventional ice tray assembly (hereinafter, referred to as an “ice making unit”) for a refrigerator disclosed in the above patent reference is structured such that the plurality of ice trays are connected to each other by the connecting gear and the lever is directly connected to one of the ice trays. Thus, in order to separate ice pieces from the ice trays by rotating the ice trays, a user should rotate the lever by 90 degrees or more, thereby causing inconvenience to a user.
Further, because the amount of rotation of the lever is large, sufficient space for the rotation of the lever should be provided. Thus, space utilization is low.
Further, because the ice pieces made in the ice trays adhere to inner surfaces of the ice trays, it is not easy to separate the ice pieces from the ice trays only by rotating the ice trays.
Further, because a conventional water supply tank for supplying water to the ice trays is mounted to or demounted from the case while moving up and down, sufficient space should be provided above the ice making unit in order to separate the water supply tank from the case. Therefore, a conventional refrigerator has a problem such that it is difficult to efficiently utilize space above the ice making unit.
Further, it is necessary to clean the ice making trays when the ice making trays are covered with foreign materials due to long term use. However, because the ice making trays cannot be separated from the ice making case, it is very inconvenient to clean the ice making trays.